Zenith bank lands in EFCC trouble for N117bn transactions with Wike’s govt

A manager of Zenith Bank has been arrested by the EFCC for transactions his bank allegedly carried out on behalf of one of the Rivers governent.

According to the commission, N117 was involved in the transactions, and the bank did not inform the EFCC, as provided in the law, which makes the deals suspicious.

Amangbo, the bank manager, was held to explain why Zenith failed to flag the withdrawals carried out over three years.

He was first invited for questioning on August 23, but he was released on administrative bail and asked to return on August 24 for further interrogation.

He has, however, been detained since Friday.

Four other suspects are on the run.

Among them is Fubara Similari, the director of finance and account at the Government House in Port Harcourt. The Government House cashier is at large too.

Reacting, Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike said the investigation is “political witch-hunt”.
He vowed on Sunday he would not allow the state officials to appear before the EFCC for questioning.

The governor said an Appeal Court judgement in 2007 prohibited the EFCC from prying into Rivers State coffers, a ruling he claimed had not been appealed.

“They filed for leave to appeal the judgment at the Court of Appeal. Until they set aside the judgment, we will not come,” Wike said through his media aide.

A fresh lawsuit would also be filed to stop the EFCC investigation of Rivers accounts.

The commission has been looking into the books of state governments lately, starting from Benue and Akwa Ibom.

All the states involved so far are controlled by the PDP.

Mr Wike argued Sunday that the EFCC went after Benue and Akwa Ibom to lay the groundwork for similar measures against Rivers.

“But the target is not Benue or Akwa Ibom States,” Mr Wike said. “The real target is Rivers State.”

“The EFCC as a federal agency has no business with state funds. That is the responsibility of the State House of Assembly,” he added.